By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Monaco
August 28 – The most open secret in football politics was confirmed today when UEFA president Michel Platini ended months of speculation by officially announcing he would not be standing against Sepp Blatter for the top job in world football.
But that didn’t stop the Frenchman, who has fallen out with his one-time mentor over recent months, insisting he didn’t support Blatter as FIFA president even though there is a strong possibility the veteran Swiss will now run unopposed once again next May.
Platini’s move was widely anticipated given that all other five confederations have already announced their support for Blatter and after informing UEFA’s 54 federations of his decision, the 59-year-old Frenchman made it clear at a press conference in Monaco, a few hours before the Champions League draw, that he wanted to stay at the helm of UEFA in order to complete the work he started in 2007.
“What interests me is UEFA and only UEFA,” he said. “European football has never been as strong and powerful as it is today and I have every intention of guarding this supremacy,” said Platini, who nevertheless hinted strongly that he may go for the FIFA presidency in 2019.
“I am not closing the door to FIFA down the road. But I thought long and hard and never managed to convince myself. It’s really that simple. This is not my time – not yet. I am more committed than ever to developing football in Europe.”
Platini will instead now continue to focus on finalising Euro 2016 in his home country, as well as planning the one-off pan-European finals in 2020, his own creation. “My choice was based on my heart, football and my passion,” he said. “We have big projects at UEFA.”
He also used the occasion to make his feelings known about the way Blatter runs FIFA, suggesting that too many FIFA executive committee members behaved like “sheep saying yes and allowing Mr Blatter to be omnipotent” instead of trying to change things.
The FIFA executive committee, he said, needed to “find its courage once again to be a counter-balance to Mr Blatter” and even went as far as accusing the 78-year-old Swiss of deliberately trying to become more modern when the reality was that “deep down he probably does not believe some of the things he says”, not least when it comes to more technological aids in football.
“I have helped Mr Blatter in the past and I think he will run again next year. But I will not be supporting him in the next election. I have looked him in the eye and told him that. If someone else brings something new we will hear him out.”
But that someone will not be former FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne, currently the only official candidate with whom Platini has a notoriously frosty relationship. Asked about Champagne’s campaign, Platini dismissed it entirely, saying pointedly that there was “not much interest” in his compatriot’s bid.
Nominations for the FIFA presidency do not need to be confirmed until the end of next January which begs the question whether anyone else will now come forward to take on Blatter, knowing that such a move will almost certainly end in failure. Even Champagne, whose manifesto contains some genuinely creative ideas, has admitted he could not beat Blatter.
Neither, even though he would not admit it today, could Platini, handing what appears on paper to be carte blanche for Blatter to seek a fifth term and succeed. Platini wouldn’t be drawn on whether anyone else would ultimately come forward, saying potential candidates were waiting first to see what he himself would do.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” said Platini. “But I say again, my choice was not made on who will or won’t be running for Fifa. In 2007, I ran against Lennart Johansson for UEFA president. It was no mean feat to beat him so I can’t be accused of being afraid of Mr Blatter. I still respect him – even though I believe he should leave his post.”
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